ECONOMIST (MULTIPLE DUTY STATIONS), P3

The UN Secretary-General launched on 1 January 2019 a bold and new global reform which repositioned the UN Development System to deliver more effectively and efficiently with the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this reform, UN Resident Coordinator Offices (UN RCO), under the leadership of an empowered and independent UN Resident Coordinator - the highest-ranking official of the UN Development System and Representative of the UN Secretary-General at country level - support countries in the achievement of their development priorities and the attainment of the SDG's. In its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the Development Operations Coordination Office (DCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO exercises managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the oversight of the Chair of United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In 2026, DCO undertook a recalibration to ensure the RC system remains optimally configured to support the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda and embodies the UN 2.0 shift- anchored in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, strategic foresight, and a mission driven organizational culture. The Economist engages in close collaboration with experts and stakeholders. Internally, this involves working with economic affairs officers, related teams within the entity, and intergovernmental bodies on economic policy to share thematic information, gather data, exchange best practices, and coordinate activities. Externally, the role engages with UN specialized agencies, international financial institutions, bilateral development agencies, governments, academic institutions, professional networks, and private sector entities to promote knowledge sharing, exchange information, report on developments, and stay updated on emerging trends and practices. The Economist is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and advising on economic trends, policies, and developments to support informed economic decision-making and development strategies. This role involves conducting research on economic issues, preparing analytical reports, and evaluating the impact of economic policies as well as the economic impact of social, environmental and geopolitical developments at global, regional, and national levels. The position supports the Resident Coordinator Office in advancing sustainable development through economic analysis, policy advice, SDG monitoring and reporting, and analytical support to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The incumbent analyses political, economic and geopolitical developments and their implications for sustainable development, economic transformation and policy decision-making at national, regional and global levels. The role supports UN Country Team engagement with government counterparts, development partners, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders, providing analytical inputs to national development strategies and fostering integrated approaches to development. This Job Opening is issued as a multi-position recruitment exercise for Economist (P-3) posts in United Nations Resident Coordinator Offices located in the following duty stations: Thimphu (Bhutan), Gaborone (Botswana), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Djibouti (Djibouti), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Vientiane (Lao People's Democratic Republic), Maseru (Lesotho), Lilongwe (Malawi), Nouakchott (Mauritania), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Dakar (Senegal), Lomé (Togo), and Lusaka (Zambia). Candidates may express preference in any of the listed duty stations in their applications. Successful candidates may be selected to fill vacancies in any of these locations.

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will perform the following duties: 1. APPLIED ECONOMIC RESEARCH, MODELING AND POLICY ANALYSIS: • Collect, integrate, and analyse data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables, and reports using data visualization methods to support data driven planning, decision making, presentation, and reporting. • Conduct cross-sectoral economic analysis using macroeconomic models and data from UN agencies, national statistics offices, and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to support evidence-based policy recommendations and forward-looking economic planning. • Design and estimate econometric models to investigate the effects of economic policies on developmental outcomes and generate findings to inform policy design and implementation. • Design models and analytical frameworks using non-conventional data to assess macroeconomic indicators for countries affected by conflicts or with significant data gaps. • Build and develop the Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) models to support policy simulations and macroeconomic forecasting generating robust and policy-relevant outputs. • Design macroeconomic policy simulation tools and interfaces to support policy choices, ensuring robust functionality and analytical relevance. 2. APPLIED MACROECONOMIC RESEARCH: • Monitor and analyze recurrent and emerging economic trends at regional, sub-regional, national and sub-national levels to identify risks, opportunities, and patterns of uneven development and submit findings and recommendations. • Monitor financial system vulnerabilities—such as excessive credit growth, leverage, and interconnectedness—using early warning indicators to identify emerging risks and inform policy responses. • Analyze market dynamics and anticipate emerging trends by applying economic models and theories to provide findings and formulate recommendations. • Assess how global developments and fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators affect economic conditions and policy objectives at the national, regional and global levels using quantitative models and provide findings and recommendations. • Use models to empirically evaluate the implications of different exchange rate arrangements and generate findings and recommendations. • Use quantitative models to formulate and recommend strategies to achieve price stability, maximum employment, and sustainable economic growth, considering the trade-offs and transmission mechanisms of monetary policy. • Monitor and analyze fiscal policy development using appropriate quantitative methodologies, • and generate findings to support advisory recommendations. 3. ECONOMIC POLICY ANALYSIS, POLITICAL ECONOMY AND STRATEGIC ADVISORY: • Conduct qualitative and quantitative research on political-economic trends through mixed methods analysis to support strategic and evidence-based planning. • Conduct policy research on inclusive and sustainable development aligned with UN development frameworks and supporting intergovernmental processes, with findings for actionable and context-sensitive recommendations tailored to evolving national and regional priorities. • Evaluate the impact of government policies and regulations on firm behavior and market outcomes, including prices, output, and competition dynamics and formulate evidence-based policy recommendations. • Evaluate public sector and fiscal reforms using comparative case studies, econometric analysis, stakeholder dialogue, and contemporary research to generate findings and inform policy recommendations aimed at strengthening governance, fiscal efficiency, and sustainable development. • Support economic planning and transformation in the context of climate resilience, nature-positive outcomes, pollution reduction, and sustainable natural resource management through the implementation of models and frameworks to provide findings and formulate recommendations. • Evaluate the impact of political decisions on economic systems and vice versa by analyzing policies and economic data to inform coherent and evidence-based decision-making. • Conduct in-depth analysis on poverty, inequality, and human capital development by integrating multiple data sources, including household survey data and diverse stakeholder inputs, to generate findings that inform policy recommendations. • Provide analysis and recommendation on labour mobility and migration policies within and between countries to promote inclusion and support regional cooperation. 4. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP: • Support and facilitate representation of senior management in multi-stakeholder forums to communicate organizational insights and incorporate varied viewpoints into coordination efforts. • Organize and facilitate technical meetings and stakeholder workshops to build consensus on economic development approaches and share lessons learned. • Coordinate and undertake knowledge exchange with UN agencies and international partners to promote best practices in economic analysis. • Participate in cross-departmental preparations for major UN processes by facilitating coordination among units, consolidating inputs, and drafting briefing materials to support alignment with intergovernmental agendas and coherence in institutional positioning. • Prepare briefing notes, talking points, policy statements, speeches, and presentations, incorporating analytical insights and stakeholder inputs to support high-level engagements and intergovernmental processes. • Use quantitative models to formulate and recommend strategies to achieve price stability, maximum employment, and sustainable economic growth, considering the trade-offs and transmission mechanisms of monetary policy. 5. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING: • Participate in the design and implementation of technical cooperation activities in partnership with country stakeholders, ensuring alignment with local needs and development priorities. • Implement, monitor, and evaluate programmes and projects on economic affairs; ensure completion of key tasks and milestones within deadlines; liaise with relevant stakeholders; and identify issues and initiate follow-up actions. • Develop and apply monitoring tools to evaluate project effectiveness, incorporating feedback from partner institutions to generate actionable insights and improve programme performance. • Support the development and implementation of sustainable finance initiatives by promoting policy approaches and engaging with private sector actors, IFIs, and other stakeholders to harness innovative financing sources. 6. ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION: • Prepare and draft technical reports, policy briefs, and communication materials to inform decision-making, share knowledge, and support advocacy on regional economic issues. • Prepare draft notes, background papers, talking points, inputs for speeches and other correspondence for high-level meetings involving UN agencies, Member States and stakeholder for communication, outreach and advocacy purposes. • Engage in outreach activities on economic affairs to build support on development priorities; participate in related conferences, seminars and academic initiatives and conduct briefings, presentations, and workshops using various data, methods and tools, including online platforms. • Collects, documents and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through reports and data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting; • Performs any other duties related to the function of the RCO as requested.

PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to apply sustainable development theories, concepts and approaches. Ability to conduct independent research and analysis on sustainable development topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems, Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems, especially in the context of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Shows skill in developing sources for data collection. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Shows skill in developing sources for data collection. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of a degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is an advantage.

Not available.

A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience relevant to economic affairs, including but not limited, to economic research and analysis, policy formulation, and application of economic principles in development programmes, is required. Demonstrated knowledge of global economic trends and sectoral issues, is required. Demonstrated knowledge of relevant economic frameworks and theories is required. Demonstrated knowledge of socio-economic policy tools and intervention mechanisms to address development challenges, poverty and inequality in particular, is required. Demonstrated knowledge of fiscal policy design, public finance management and debt sustainability assessment is required. Demonstrated knowledge of climate economics, sustainable finance and environmental policy modelling is required. Demonstrated knowledge of data analytics and digital tools is required. Demonstrated skills in interpreting complex statistical and econometric outputs and translating analytical findings into actionable policy recommendations is required. Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder partnerships and work with diverse stakeholders to support policy development and implementation is desirable. Demonstrated ability to develop capacity-building initiatives that strengthen institutional economic expertise is desirable.

Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment, such as a written test, which will be followed by a competency-based interview by phone or teleconference.

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